Consumer electronics with flip covers, such as portable computer, electronic dictionary, portable audio/video player, flip mobile phone, generally have a main body on the bottom, which is pivotally connected with the cover body on the top, such that the cover body may swing open or close with respect to the main body. Consequently, the rotating shaft is key to the quality of the products described above. In fact, the design for a good rotating shaft shall not only demand a necessary arresting effect to prevent loose joint after repetitive operations, but also prevent abnormal sound from occurring to annoy users.
Through incessant efforts made by companies in the industry, a single spindle unit which can achieve multi-functions has been developed. ROC Patent 573910, for example, discloses a “Hinge Device.” The device is used for an electronic device as a hinge between its display panel and main body, in which the display panel may rotate latitudinally within a limited degree through the rotating relationship between the rotating seat and the fixed seat as well as rotate longitudinally within a limited degree through two supports on the rotating seat rotating with respect to the rotating seat, leading to a single hinge providing users with multi-functions. However, from the technical perspective, the rotating seat is two tube with a cut groove disposed on the respective side of a main body, providing the insertion of the inserting end of a connecting leg; the rotating seat can therefore rotate freely. The fixed seat is formed by disposing a limit plate and a long narrow fixed plate above and under a rotating axle, respectively, and then the upper section of the rotating axle being put through the main body and socketingly connected with a plurality of spring plates.
Consequently, the aforementioned invention adopts a radial-friction insertion type spindle in the horizontal direction and an axial-friction in-line type spindle in the vertical direction. In the aspect of cutting down the number of elements and simplifying the assembling process, the volume of the hinge device has to be greatly reduced if it is used in a digital camcorder, as depicted in the drawings of the invention, such that the assembly of the in-line type spindle in the vertical direction will be complicated due to the large number of elements. Thus the production cost will be greatly increased, and an improvement is urgently needed.